washburn



(No Model.)

W. L. WASHBURN.

'Curtain Fixture.-

Patented Dec. 28;, 1880.

NVBNTOR:

ATTORNEY.

GQ /h N. PETERS. PHQTGMTHDGRAFHER, wAsHmawn. D C.

`UNITED STATES lPATENT rrrcn'.

WILLIAM L. WASHBUBN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters Patent No. 236,126, dated December 28, 1880,

Application iled November 12, 1880. (No model.)

T9 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. WASH- BURN, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings .and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtains for Railway-Gars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention is particularly intended for use in connection with railway-cars of the description known as excursion-cars. In such cars the sides are open, and are provided with curtains for shielding the passengers from the weather when desired. In some cases these curtains are arranged so as to be rolled .up from the bottom when not in use, and fastened by straps, after the mannerof carriage-curtains, and in other cases they are arranged so as to be rolled around a roller at the top, like an ordinary window-curtain. In some cases the curtains have been provided near their edges with button-holes or eyelet-holes, for engage ment with knobs or studs in the frame of the car, in order to hold them in place when in use, and in other cases they have been arranged to engage with vertical wires for the saine purpose.

The object of my invention is to provide for readily and quickly raising or lowering the curtain, for holding it securely in place in different positions, and for securing the edges of the curtain with relation to the frame of the car.

To this end the invention consists in a novel combination and arrangement of a curtain and a spring-roller; a novel construction and combination, with the curtain and with slotted tubular guides or ways, of devices for securing the edges of the curtain; and a novel construction, arrangement, and operation of brackets for carrying the curtain-roller and a device for holding the curtain in different positions, as hereinafter more particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view, partly in section, illustrating the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken in the line a: x of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in the line y y of Fig. l.

A represents a car-window frame of any suitable description.

B is the curtain, which may be made of any suitable material.

C is a spring-roller, which is preferably similar to that known as the lEIartshorn7 roller, except that it is not provided with a pawl for arresting the motion ofthe roller when the curtain is being raised. The roller, however, may be of any suitable description which will accomplish the purpose of automatically rolling up the curtain when its lower portion is releasedf This roller O is hung in brackets I), one of which has a round bearing to enable one gudgeon of the roller to turn freely, and the other has its bearing squared to prevent the other gudgeon from turning. These brackets are attached to the inner sides of the window-frame A by a screw or pivot, c, passing through the upper portion of the shank of each bracket, so as to allow the bracket to swing, and the play ot' the bracket is limited by means of pins f, projecting from the window-frame and engaging with the edges of the shank of the bracket, or with a slot formed in said shank.. The bearings of the brackets extend horizontally at right angles to their shanks, and on the outside ol' each bearing is a peripheral groove, d.

G represents a metallic bar, at the outer end of which is a round knob or head, h. A number of these bars are attached to the side edges of the curtain in a horizontal position by stitching, riveting, or any other suitable means.

If desired, there may be wires z' extending from the bars transversely of the curtain.

The knobs or heads h work in metallic tubes J, which rest in recesses in the sides of the window-frame, and are covered by cleats or beads k. The upper ends of the tubes J terminate just below the roller G.

In front of each bracket D is a flat spring, L, the upper end of which is fastened to the top of the frame A, and the free end bears against the bracket.

When the curtain is pulled down the knobs or heads 7L run in the tubes J, which are slotted to allow the bars G to work freely. By this means the curtain is stretchedtaut transversely and the edges are held securely in place. As the curtain descends the springs L press backward on the swinging brackets, so as to keep the heads or knobs h in line with the tops of the tubes J and insure their proper and ready entrance therein.

When the cur- IOO tain is released, so as to allow the roller to wind it up, the springs L yield, so as to allow the brackets to swing forward as the diameter of the roll formed by the windingr of the curtain 'is increased.

For holding the curtain down and for securing it atdiierent points between the bottom and top ofthe frame, I employ two bolts, M M, in connection with stops S, attached to the cleats or beads k. rlhe bolts run horizontally, and work in eyes or staples n, secured to a slat at the bottom of the curtain.

The shanks of the eyes or staples may, if desired, have attached to them cushions for taking off the shock when the bottoni ot' the curtain reaches the top of the frame A.

The inner ends of the bolts are pivoted to a thumb-piece, l?, which is attached to the shank of a. similar thumb-piece7 P2. Said shank runs through the slat at the bottom of the curtain, so as to have one thumb-piece on the inside of the car and one on the outside. Then the thumb-piece is turned in a horizontal position the outer ends of the bolts engage with the stops and hold the curtain against the action of the spring-roller. Vhen the thumb-piece is turned in a vertical position the bolts are disengaged and the curtain is allowed to rise. By arranging the two thumbpieces as described the curtain may be operated froin both the inside and the outside of the car.

An important feature of my arrangement is, that the vertical edges of' the curtain are adapted to set in between the inner and outer beads or cleats which support the slotted tubes, and hence the entrance of dirt and dust or the rays of the sun is effectually prevented.

Heretofore a curtain has been provided with transverse wires having eyes which fit over vertical rods attached to the face ot` the window-frame; but such is not my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a slotted tube arranged vertically at or near the center of a window-frame, and extending from the lower portion to or near the top of the same between the inner and outer cleats or beads, with a window-curtain having attached bars G, provided with knobs or heads h, arranged to move in the slotted tube, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The swinging brackets D and actuatingsprings L, in combination with the roller C, curtain B, and knobs or heads h on the bars G, carried by said curtain, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3; The fastening device consisting of the bolts M and thumb-pieces P l, in combination with the stops S, the curtain B, and the spring-roller C, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

WILLIAM L. I/VASHBURN.

Witnesses:

E. R. BROWN, C. SEDGWICK. 

